Beyond The Portal- Jailbirds
by Berrybanana05
Summary: (Set a month or so after Ford is pushed into the portal) Ford is rotting away in Prison when he meets a mysterious stranger with unusual powers. She seems to be on his side, but with a mysterious backstory surrounding Bill Cipher that she refuses to share, can he trust her? When push comes to shove, who will she come to? Ford? Bill? Or someone else entirely? -1st in the BTP Series-
1. Birds of Darkness

**A/N:**

 **Heya, I updated this a few days ago to make stuff later down the line make more sense.**

 **I want you guys to know that whilst some pretty bad stuff is happening now, in a few chapters it all straightens out into good old fluff and angst… XD**

 **Please don't read any chapters from here unless they say UPDATED in the Author's Note! They won't make much sense otherwise.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do** **not** **own Gravity Falls!**

 **However, I DO own the plot as well as the OCs (Major and Minor). If I reference other people's works I will gain permission first and also give credit in the Author's Note.**

 **Alex Hirsch is awesome, all hail our triangular overlord, Bill Cipher!**

 **Also, just so everyone knows, this fanfic will involve blood, gory details, swearing, mentions of suicide, torture, mentions of other things, etc.**

 **It will also revolve around a character I created a long time ago but always hit writers' block with. She completely of my own creation, and so is her backstory. (And quite a few other characters involving her).**

 **Please enjoy, please review!**

 _He stared into the memory, his warm hands and breath steaming up the glass._

 _Finally he would know, know exactly WHAT she was hiding._

 _However, he was struck by a bout of dizziness and collapsed onto his knees, putting a hand on the glass to steady himself._

 _Suddenly, his hand felt sticky, almost like he was touching… Honey._

 _He let out a strangled cry as with a slurping noise the barrier between past and present dissolved and he was flung into the memory…_

 _Instantly, he realised two things:_

 _This was a dream._

 _This was one of her prophetic dreams._

 _Then his heart hammered and his breath caught in his throat as he realised what he was seeing._

 _It was her._

 _But not her._

 _Standing atop a mountain of weapons- blunderbusses, daggers, pistols, rapiers, throwing knives, machine guns, longswords, round viking shields, broadswords, rectangular roman shields, the like…_

 _But then he looked to her- dark, glossy wings extended to their maximum wingspan; chunky, steampunk boots; a torn shirt, emblazoned with symbols he couldn't decipher._

 _In one hand she wielded a rapier, the other was curled into a fist, flickering tongues of cyan flame erupting from it, illuminating her face with its chilling light._

 _He looked into her eyes and his heart dropped into his boots._

 _They flashed at him in the darkness, unmissable. Bright, luminous, striking yellow eyes that burned a hole into his soul. The classic black, cat-eye slit for a pupil._

 _Then she blinked and they were back to normal… But the wavering flames burned merrily on._

 _And he was ejected from the memory to land face-first on the slick black tiles…_

 _/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /_

 _She smiled, watching the girls play in the fields, heads of corn bobbing in and out of view as they ran between them… She reached out longingly, but her fingertips came into contact with the glassy surface of the memory and the illusion shattered, fading to black and white._

 _The memory flickered, faded, and stopped, fading to black and white._

 _She frowned as a chilling breeze swept through the fields, blowing the shards of the once-touching scene away…_

 _She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, but suddenly she found herself swaying, lost to the winds._

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

—

-DIMENSION 78- SOMEWHERE IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLES-

—

A girl, looking about eighteen by human standards, was flung onto the back of a sled. Grey chains then bound her in place, clinking gently.

On taking a closer look, you would see she was badly bruised, her face bloodied, and the icy cold had given her nose a bluish tinge. She was unconscious- probably for the best, considering her injuries.

With a harsh shout and the cracking of whips, vicious looking dogs lumbered forwards, dragging the sledges, snarling and barking as they ran.

Following up behind were many more sledges, each carrying a similar cargo…

Hours passed, days maybe? None of them were sure.

They shivered in the bitter cold, hoping their friend would wake and- once again- produce some far-fetched miracle that somehow got them out of this mess.

Their wishes were not to be granted, however. Not this time.

From then, the temperature only seemed to drop further.

Eventually, after what felt like forever, the sledges began to slow. They were

headed for a gaping chasm between two walls of deep blue ice…

After hours in the pitch blackness, they came out the other side... They squinted into the gloom, fog obscuring whatever they might have seen…

Eventually, a cargo ship could be faintly made out, unintelligible words painted on the side.

The silent, hostile strangers who had brought them here roughly began to unload them, clamping hands over their mouths to muffle their screams, and tying their limbs with coarse ropes to limit their attempts to escape. They were dumped into the hold of the ship and once again left in darkness.

For the 11th time in 48 hours all of them were asking themselves, "How did we get ourselves into this mess…?"

Soon they found themselves becoming weary and allowed themselves to

succumb to sleep, despite their friend's previous warnings about doing so...

—

-ARRIVAL IN DIMENSION 62-

—

After a brief and futile struggle, they were frogmarched into a foreboding building not unlike a Nazi concentration camp; the mere comparison made their stomachs turn. The main difference was that this was modernised, and security appeared tight.

The girl, who still hadn't gained consciousness, was dragged by her chains through the gates, through the courtyard, and then through the building itself.

A few of the brave ones protested at this, but a barely concealed threat or two soon had them silent and quaking in their boots.

They were locked into a section of connected cells, all leading into each other. In total they contained about 20 bunks; just enough for everyone.

The first, however, was slowly dragged away.

She gained consciousness just to see her friends fading from sight.

Struggle though she may, in her stupor she was unable to free herself and made them a silent promise. "I will find you." She thought before something slammed into the back of her head and she lost consciousness once more…

 **HIS POV**

The man awoke with a barely suppressed scream, sitting bolt upright.

He quickly calmed himself, reassuring that He... The man caught himself. It, IT, was nowhere to be seen.

From his coat pocket he produced a spiral notepad, pacing the cell as he jotted down the rough details of his dream; it was always good to have a slight edge of paranoia. It kept you alive.

It had kept him alive.

He abruptly broke off from his pacing when he heard the grumbles of the wardens. He knew well enough that most of what he currently held was contraband, and quickly stuffed the pad and pen deep into his hidden pockets.

With practised speed, he gathered a few unwanted items and dumped them with little ceremony into his more obvious pockets; to have nothing of interest on him at all would be suspicious to say the least.

He prepared to see the familiar sight of the pacing goons, to be shaken upside-down once more until all of his items fell from his pockets for them to collect and, most likely, sell.

All his items but his precious, carefully concealed, notepad and pen, that is. It was good that his guards were so lazy, so inattentive to detail.

If they weren't, he would've been caught long ago...

But the guards went straight past his cell, dragging behind a dishevelled prisoner.

She looked barely a day over eighteen, yet when the man looked at her he could see the shadows under her eyes, the purplish bruises, faded scars, deep cuts, and red welts... From the strangely shaped lumps beneath her skin he suspected she might have broken quite a few ribs... Just how bad of a fight was she in to get that badly injured?

Despite his wariness, he felt his curiosity spike. Just what HAD she done to get on their bad side…?

 **HER POV**

She awoke with a banging headache. Grimacing, she put her hand to the back of her head, where a small lump was forming.

Every muscle in her body protested as she slowly got to her feet.

"What in the name of hell happened?" She groaned, desperately trying to regain the fleeting memories of the past few days.

Warily, she took in her surroundings.

She was in a dark cell, mould clinging to the ceiling, its signature green fuzz probably the most colour the dank room had ever had.

There were two bunks on the wall, a single window with slate-grey bars was positioned just above the highest bunk.

At least she could see the stars, and if her limited, still-adjusting vision was correct, snow-capped mountains in the distance; freedom, tantalisingly out of her reach.

She shook her head to refocus and, in her haze, noticed a copper-handled door. Striding over- because if her memory was correct, she was as good as dead anyway and honestly didn't have much left to fear- she turned the handle and opened the door.

She was surprised to be greeted by a small, tiled, bathroom. Don't get me wrong- it was in no degree fancy, or of any quality whatsoever. But it did contain a shower, a sink, and a moth bitten towel- much more than she could've ever hoped for.

The girl collapsed on the highest bunk after a quick sweep. She'd disposed of twenty bugs so far- one in the doorknob of the tiny bathroom, one in every corner of the two rooms, three hidden in the mould (of course she would search there, the more disgusting the more likely), two sewn into each of the mattresses (if you could even call it that- If she hadn't seen the stuffing with her own two eyes she would've sworn it was made of rocks...) and in so many other places she'd lost count. These guys really wanted to hear what she had to say, that was for sure.

Oh there was doubtlessly many more, but at least she felt like she'd made some sort of effort.

Just above her head, scrawled in barely comprehensible writing was the rambles of the clearly insane. She groaned. If she didn't get company soon, that would be her.

Everything in the cell was in some state of disrepair... Everything but the brand-new cement securing the steel bars of the cell in place, and the grille covering the vents, that is.

She'd checked that out on a whim, hoping that maybe, just maybe they'd slipped up... But no.

It wasn't just screwed in place with some normal, typical hardware store stuff. No. They'd really put out all the stops to get her and keep her here... She had to give them that.

She struggled to stay awake, knowing whatever greeted her in her sleep would be far worse than reality, but soon she drifted off, wondering what tomorrow had in store for her…

Or, to put it more accurately, what They had in store for her...

/ **Two Days Later** /

When she slowly came to, she realised her sheets were once again a crusty reddish-brown.

She groaned, but after being a human girl for six months, this didn't bother her until she felt a throbbing in her gut.

Gently, she probed the spot, her fingers coming away crimson and slightly sticky.

Memories of yesterday hit her like a car on the motorway, knocking the breath from her lungs…

"I'm not going to ask you again. WHERE IS THE FIRE GUARDIAN AND THE ICE GUARDIAN?"

She kept her lips firmly sealed despite not fully remembering who they were; only a fierce desire to protect them kept her silent, mustering every ounce of acting skill she had. She stared blankly at the man, cocking her head listlessly, as if she didn't understand his thick Russian accent…

"All right, you asked for it!"

She shook her head firmly, attempting to clear her mind before she could recall anything more, but the memories kept coming…

"How wonderful, more psychologically-damaging memories to enjoy…

At least my sense of sarcasm hasn't deserted me, even if my sanity soon will." She thought with a sigh.

"Don't make me bring them into this." He says, gesturing to the huddling teenagers in the corner.

She felt a sudden tidal wave of fury wash over her at his threat.

"What the heck was that about?" She thinks. "Do I know them?"

One called out, "Lilly?", their expression a heart-rendering mix between hope and terror.

She swallowed. Lilly? That name seems familiar… Hers?

"It's us. Your friends."

"My-" She hesitated. "Friends?"

"Y-you remember us, right? Please drop the act, you're… You're scaring us!"

Her heart ached. Desperately scanning their faces, she hoped for even a minute detail that might trigger a flood of memories… But nothing, nothing at all.

Swallowing again, she said thickly, "I'm sorry. I don't know who you are."

They gasped, stepping back, shocked. Her interrogator looked dumbfounded.

"You're telling me you've got no idea who these guys are?"

She shook her head, more confused than ever.

She met their eyes and said, "I haven't a clue."

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

I still can't quite remember who they are, but I feel a fluttering at the edge of my mind, like the memories are fighting to get loose. When I think of someone causing harm to them, red flashes in the corner of my vision, and I feel an icy darkness settle within me. Like I'd kill someone just for threatening them. Like I'd give my life to save theirs…

A strange feeling that only just returned within the past two hours.

But I cannot remember the memories.

Everything... Everything is fuzzy. Everything is empty... A blank canvas... But then I the canvas over and the splashes of colour are a rainbow of ecstasy, laughter, and joy.

Complex, unexplainable feelings of bittersweet longing fill me when I try to remember them... But I still cannot recall the memories...

. . . .

The words come back to me... But things like that are always there; they wait at the fringes of my recollections, haunting my dreams, my past, my future, my present... And I know they'll never leave...

But would they truly hurt them?

"I want to see you SUFFER, Guardian. I want you to sit there and WATCH, knowing that it's YOUR FAULT they're here, YOUR FAULT, as they scream, again and again, the sound of their agony echoing in your skull until the day you die…!"

A spark ignites within me.

A small spark, yes, but every spark has the potential to become a roaring fire if only given the correct motivation.

A dangerous glint comes into my eye as I wait, wait for them to come to drag me back... And the spark grows to a flame...

Malicious thoughts race through my mind, my mouth curves into a vicious smile... But nobody comes.

Soon the smile fades, the spark dies, and I realise just what I'd just been prepared to do…

Dread pools in my stomach and worry churns in my gut. It's getting stronger.

I collapse onto the bottom bunk, attempting to fight the sadistic thoughts invading my mind…

I wait. Nobody comes.

It's just my swiftly receding sanity and me.

Nobody comes.

 **HIM**

Screaming, I awake from another nightmare, my heart thumping. Eventually it slows to a healthy pace and I run my hand through my physics-defying hair with a groan.

As I rise, I note that the screaming STILL hasn't stopped...!

Wait... It's changed.

It's someone ELSE this time! Is constant, ENDLESS agonised screaming a REQUIREMENT at this place or something?!

I begin pacing up and down, ranting at the top of my lungs. Hearing heavy footsteps, I pause.

Uh-oh.

—

"MUST you wake us all up?" The guard asks angrily, pulling me face-first into the bars. A small groan escapes my lips.

"You humans are all the same! At least our new resident Guardian hasn't given us any trouble!"

My curiosity spikes again. Guardian…?

The guard suddenly smirks. "I know what will cheer me up... Let's see what you have on you TODAY!"

My eyes widen. I forgot to hide my notepad!

"W-wait!" I cry, grabbing for something to hold onto, ANYTHING to hold onto, as he picks me up by the ankle.

Despairingly, I watch as my notepad and pen fall to the floor.

"Oooh, contraband, eh? That'll be twelve hours in the dungeons for you then!"

I swallow hard. What have I gotten myself into…?

He pockets my flip-pad and pen.

"I'll be back for you tomorrow!"

This only confirms what I knew before- I HAVE TO ESCAPE.

 **HER**

For three days I have done nothing but stare out the barred window, waiting for my memories to return.

Day... Mountains.

Night... Constellations.

Day... Mountains.

Night... Constellations

Day... Mountains.

Night... Constellations…

They don't.

I collapse onto the bed, attempting unsuccessfully to drown out the agonised screaming coming from beneath the floor, no doubt from some poor wretch who's taking their turn now that They seems to be done with me…

Shutting my eyes, I nearly let myself drift off...Realising the gravity of what I almost did, I scold myself for the near slip-up...

"Everything I do these days seems to be in my head..." I find myself thinking.

I lie there procrastinating, desperately trying to stop my eyelids from drooping.

I muse, ponder, plan, daydream, and converse with myself. Anything to keep from falling asleep.

I'm just beginning to succumb to sleep when I notice something off about the screams. Frowning, I slowly get to my feet.

The screams... They're too... Human...

My pulse skyrockets.

Surely... Surely they wouldn't?

My earlier conclusion returns with vengeance. They WOULD.

Whatever self-control I had left deserted me as I ran and slammed my shoulder into the bars.

"COME ON!" I yelled.

I slammed my shoulder into the bars but only succeeded in hurting myself.

"Fuck." I growled, glaring at the bars as I rubbed my shoulder.

As anger raged within me and my hands clenched into fists, my hands slowly grew cold. Icy cold. Almost like...

Looking down at my hands, a wave of fear slammed into me. It was happening again.

I shoved my hands deep into my pockets. It was fine. I was fine.

I was stronger than this. I could fight it.

Turning away from the bars, I intended to re-check the vents…

I stopped. Pulling my hand from my pocket, I checked if it was still there.

It was.

I glanced at the bars. Could... Could it melt the bars...?

Looking back my palms I hesitated…

A scream.

Sparks flew, wood was reduced to charcoal, ashes were caught on the chilly evening air.

I screamed as I fought for control, losing miserably. The consequences of my failure raged around me.

Desperate cries for help.

Thick black smoke filled the room, contaminating the air, choking all inside.

A baby's wail.

Then silence reigned and the world span around me.

I gasped.

Trying to stop myself from shaking, I rested unsteadily against the wall. I eyed my hands warily, flinching at the blue glow.

I couldn't even trust myself...

I bit my lip as the screams grew louder. This was MY fault. They were here because they'd tried to save me... Save me from myself.

I walked over to the bars, but my resolve wavered.

The screams became heart-rendering and I felt my heart clench painfully.

Then I collapsed to the ground and I screamed as the cold seeped into my bones, numbing the pain, dragging my tender heart into its frigid embrace.

I felt its dark light grow as my heart hardened and the chains on my mind loosened, the darkness eclipsing whatever 'fear' or 'mercy' I once had

.

Mercy. Hah. Like that ever did anyone any good. The spark, that shining spark was back. The dangerous glint too.

Gently, I held my palms up to the bars.

"Melt." I commanded, and the flames leapt from my hands to do my bidding.

 **A/N:**

 **Ok, I went through and cut out a whole lot of waffle from the first and second chapters because, hey, it wasn't necessary!**

 **The next two chapters I'm re-writing to work better with my plot…**

 **If you'd like to beta-read, please PM me, but be prepared for a mountain of rough ideas to come through too.**

 **Please review! (No flames please!)**

 **Remember, next chapter is when things really kick off!**


	2. Birds of Insanity

**A/N: UPDATED!**

 **Ok, I'm back after a long hiatus to give you a new chapter!…**

 **This is the last time I'll take so long, I promise… *Crosses fingers behind back*…**

 **I cut a whole load of waffle out of the previous chapter so you might or might not want to check that one out before reading this one!**

 **I want you guys to know that whilst some pretty bad stuff is happening now, in a few chapters it all straightens out into good old fluff and angst… XD**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gravity Falls!**

 **However, I DO own the plot as well as the OCs (Major and Minor).**

 **If I reference other people's works I will gain permission first and also give credit in the Author's Note.**

 **WARNINGS:**

 **This fanfic will potentially contain blood, gory details, swearing, mentions of suicide, torture, mentions of other things, etc.**

 **OTHER:**

 **It will also revolve around a character I created a long time ago but always hit writers' block with. She completely of my own creation, and so is her backstory. (And quite a few other characters involving her).**

 **Please enjoy, please review!**

 **KEY:**

" _ **Italic text within speech marks" = Cophie/Entity in someone's mind/telepathic conversation**_

 _ **Italic text = Past event/memory/flashback**_

 **text = Conversation happening in future/present**

 **HER**

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

 _The memories were hazy, flickering in and out of focus._

 _Unorganised and relentless._

 _They refused to stay still for much longer than a fraction of a second, vanishing without trace just to pop up again a few minutes later._

 _I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as if it might quell my headache or still my fluttering thoughts._

I could barely remember how I escaped.

Something about… Fire? But that made no sense… The bars had been weakened by cold and snapped by impossible force!

 _I blinked. The flames were gone and there was a thin layer of ice coating the bars… They had shattered, seemingly from cold… But that was ridiculous._

 _I had checked them everyday and the anti-freeze enchantments had been stronger than… Well, any magic I knew. If I could still do magic that is…_

 _Besides, I couldn't use Fire Magic. I was…_

 _What magic did I have?_

 _I frowned, scrunching up my forehead in an attempt to remember, but nothing came._

*THUD*

*THUD*

*THUD*

My ears pricked up as I heard heavy footfalls across two corridors.

I took a sharp right turn, spinning on my heel, the baggy orange jumpsuit flapping noisily as I ran.

" _Jeez, what were they thinking?!"_ The voice in my head muttered, observing the garish garment.

I quelled my 'inner Fashion Police' and focused on the task ahead.

This was no time to get distracted. Besides, when had I been so focused on clothes…?!

I saw a discarded mop and an overturned bucket just ahead, a silver-blue fluid spilling out across the hallway. I sped up and leapt over the abandoned items, clearing them in a single bound.

Bending my knees slightly as I landed, I immediately continued running…

"All these corridors look the same!" I found myself thinking, turning down yet another bland grey corridor…

" _They REALLY need to get an Interior Decorator in here… Put some colour in to spice it up!"_ The voice mused.

"Great. Just great. I'm going insane." I thought, turning down yet another seemingly endless corridor that looked identical to the last.

" _Nah, not_ _quite_ _insane."_

"I'm talking to myself. That's usually No.1 on the 'Are They Going Ever-So-Slightly Bonkers?' list."

" _Let me clarify. You were ALREADY insane when I showed up."_

I groaned. I was having a fully-fledged conversation with a disembodied voice inside my head. Fun times.

" _Hah, just kidding. You are pretty wacked-out though. You've got MAGIC!"_

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" I snapped, looking frantically up and down the corridors as I came to a crossroads.

" _Hilarious… Not. Might want to make a few more lefts."_

I grimaced in frustration, but took the voice's advice as, really, it couldn't hurt at this point.

"So if I'm not going insane, you must be some kind of entity living in the back of my mind?"

" _Ding Ding Ding! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!…"_

I could practically see the grin plastered across their features.

But where had I heard that phrase before…?

"Okay, okay. So who ARE you, anyway?" I said as I made another left, the clamour of the other prisoners growing louder as I neared them.

Huh. Taking the advice was paying off.

" _I'm just a… friend. I've been hanging around in the back of your head for a while, making comments, helping you out… We know each other well. For example, the answer to your question earlier is 'Water'."_

" 'Scuse me?"

" _Water. Water Elemental Type."_

"Type? I'm not a Pokémon!"

" _Eh. Whatever. Just… Do you remember me now? Seriously, we go wayyyy back."_

I frowned and scrunched up my nose, trying to remember.

Flashes of memories, mental exchanges… But a name…

"Cophie." I blurted, aloud.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Short for Coppélia."

 _"Yeah, you got it!"_ She cheered. Then her grin faded. _"Don't call me Coppélia though."_

"I also happen to remember you 'shipping' me with just about EVERYONE I ever met, a lot of sarcastic commentary, and more perkiness than humanly possible…"

 _"Well…"_

"Mmm hmm…"

I sighed.

"Where to now, then, 'Coph'?"

I found that I could almost… See… See her interacting with various items and rooms inside my mind… Weird, but kinda cool.

" _ONWARDS!"_

"Well, that's helpful."

" _Err… MAKE A LEFT!"_

"You're dreadfully fond of your lefts aren't you?"

" _Whatever. Seriously, what happened to make_ _you_ _such an eloquent speaker?"_

"I don't know! Personally, I don't think I've been speaking that poshly! And what's wrong with that?!"

" _Tell that to your accent! What are you- raised by the Queen?"_ She smirked.

She airily brushed aside my question, exclaiming, _"Ohhh… It's that thing where you adopt the… The…"_ She clicked her fingers, trying to remember.

"Mannerisms?" I offered, having a vague idea of where this was going.

Cophie chuckled.

" _How on earth did you know? Yes, so 'mannerisms' of a character from a book you're reading… Isn't it?"_

"Probably. And you are in my head…"

" _WATCH OUT FOR THAT WALL!"_

'Wha-"

I slammed into the stone wall, letting out a small moan.

"Thanks for the warning…" I complained, peeling myself off.

Of all the walls, it had to be one of the stone ones…

"Agh! What am I doing, wasting time like this?!" I muttered, my 'friends' coming to mind. My heart gave a painful twinge as I thought of them in THEIR clutches…

" _They're_ _fine. Trust me! It's you_ _I'D_ _worry about. Speaking of which, DUCK!"_

I dove to the floor to see a sparking bolt of electricity soar through the airspace where my head had just been…

" _RUN, FRICKIN'_ _RUN!_ _"_

"I NEVER WOULD'VE THOUGHT OF THAT! THANKS!" I yelled sarcastically.

I high-tailed it down the next three corridors, mind racing and heart thumping… This was either going to end really well, or I was screwed.

Going by my recent luck, I was 99.9% sure it was going to be the latter.

"COPHIE! HURRY UP WITH THOSE DIRECTIONS!"

" _WORKING ON IT!"_

"YOU'RE NOT THE ONE RUNNING FOR YOUR LIFE!"

" _I'M NOT THE ONE WHO RUNS QUADRUPLE-MARATHONS FOR FUN!"_

"USED TO! USED TO!"

" _WELL GET USED TO RUNNING PRETTY QUICKLY OR ELSE YOU'RE DEAD!"_

"THANKS! NOT!"

" _Okay, okay… LEFT!"_

"I swear you're making this up now…"

" _Nope! Three more lefts then two rights, then straight ahead for two corridors, then two lefts!"_

"I really hope you know what you're talking about…"

/ **TWENTY MINUTES LATER** /

I was panting furiously, beads of sweat running down my forehead…

"How… Many… More… Corridors…?" I wheezed, slowing to a jog.

"STOP!"

"Oh thank God…" I said, collapsing to my knees, gasping for breath.

I looked up and my heart dropped into my boots, the smile wiped from my face.

"Cophie."

"What?"

"WE'RE AT THE WRONG PLACE!"

"I told you, they're fine."

"Figured that out from all the HUMAN SCREAMING, EH?"

"Trust me! Anyway, you can't escape in THAT."

She eyed the orange jumpsuit disapprovingly, opening and closing a red hand-fan with gentle flicks of her wrist.

"You are such a…"

"Come on! No time to catch your breath!"

I groaned and rose to my feet until I was leaning against the open arch for balance, swaying slightly on my feet.

It was the lockers where they held the prisoner's items…

I sighed. Perhaps Cophie had a point… I would need my stuff back in order to get everyone out safely…

I looked both ways before sneaking into the room.

Inside was thousands of labelled red crates, stacked in dizzying high piles...

This was going to take a while.

Stealing back my clothes, messenger bag, rucksack, bandana, and boots proved difficult but worthwhile. I kitted up manually, once again cursing my depleted magic (so much more efficient to change with a snap of your fingers and a spark of magic)...

I cast a quick eye over the contents of the bags; all of my things seemed to be there...

I would've liked to have gone through all the hidden compartments, but I really didn't have time.

Grabbing what I hoped were some clothes that may fit my friends, including several turtle necks, long cargo pants, and a variety of layers, I shoved the messy mountain into my small rucksack. I felt a small smile tugging at my lips as I remembered my friends' faces as I managed to fit a small house in there, years ago.

Shaking myself out of my reverie, I quickly zipped up the sides of the bag.

I'd been just about to run for the dungeons when a notepad and pen, shoved on the highest shelf, caught my eye… I reasoned that a notepad could come in handy- tinder for a fire, leaving notes, writing important things down…

Throwing a discarded shoe at the corner of the pad, I managed to get it to topple off the edge.

The pen soon followed, rolling off easily without something stopping it.

I caught both, shoving them in my bag without a second thought and taking off into a run.

Running down the grey corridor I passed cell after cell, all filled with rowdy prisoners, yelling at me to "GET A MOVE ON!"

It seemed they weren't the only ones waiting for a spark of rebellion however, as the second I turned the next corner, I ran straight into a muscled guard and 250 volts of electricity.

I was out before I hit the floor.

 **HIM**

/ **A Week Later** /

The talk was finally beginning to die about the escape attempt...

From the snatches of gossip I overheard, no one had managed to escape this prison before. Since no one had tried in so long, security had gradually become lax... At least, that was how everyone explained it- the almost-escapee had got further than anyone else before, and without magic to boot.

I had craned my neck to try and catch a glimpse, a glimpse to confirm my theories, but my view was blocked by shaking fists and my hearing obstructed by the cheers and the threats echoing down the corridors...

It would've been the best time to escape, to run whilst the majority of their forces were going after her, perhaps distract a few to heighten her chances of escape...

Or at least I was pretty sure it was a 'her'. I was almost certain that the escapee was the mysterious Guardian, AKA the beat-up youth dragged past my cell... It was about three weeks ago now. That made it six weeks, two days since that fateful day when I was... Since... No. That didn't matter...

But I couldn't help but think about it.

It felt like a century, perhaps a millennium since I had seen the sun rise above the small, hick town of Gravity Falls... Since I'd seen Fiddleford... Since...

Damn it, Stanford! Keep it together!...

I rose to my feet, hands clenched into fists, glaring out of the bars.

FIGHT IT. Fight the memories.

The past doesn't matter now.

Only the present, the future…

But I couldn't keep my past out of my mind.

I'd never been able to…

I had to carve my own path, the hard path through life, thanks to... Thanks to HIM, that useless wretch I call a brother...

At least that's how Pa always saw it.

I... I honestly... No. No. This is ridiculous. He is a good-for-nothing simpleton and I know it. They all knew it.

But I had always refused to believe it.

And now I saw. I realised.

And it hurt more than anything these awful 'Villains' could devise.

So I would break out. I would think, plot, plan, and scheme... Escape because that would keep my mind busy, prevent this sentimental sap from clogging up my mind.

Because it hurt to think of him.

I would escape tomorrow night.

 **HER**

I woke up in a new cell, slightly dazed.

I knew my name, I knew I'd been trying to rescue my friends, I remembered an icy, dark, coldness, then my escape… But that was it.

"Dammit." I said. The memories still hadn't returned.

My rucksack and messenger bag had been left at the foot of a rickety oaken bunk bed…

My eyes widened.

This cell was one heck of a step up from the last.

The cell was at least- and quite suspiciously- twice the size of my last one.

There were two bunk beds- the one on the right-hand side with my bags and another, stood on the left-hand side of the room… They even had the tiny little barred windows at their heads, all bathed in the dim, flickering glow of the broken lightbulb... Clearly they hadn't splashed out as much on the light enchantments as they did on the security...

I shivered as a sudden breeze came through the windows...

The heating charms could do with some work too.

Still sprawled on the floor, I sat up and squinted out of the window into the gloom. It was the dead of night, a week since my attempted escape judging by the position and phase of the arctic moon... Then again, this was a foreign dimension, on a foreign planet, in a foreign universe and the moon cycle could be shades different from Earth's...

I would assume it was similar to... To my homeland's though, as I could see the brief outline of Skei's Trident in the sky, and the edge of Pulo's Boarskin...

How was that even possible...?

I shook my head.

It must be an illusion, a trick albeit a simple one... We couldn't possibly be in dimension N26-8*6 Alpha…

No, we couldn't be.

Not that I wouldn't give up all the stars in Earth's skies for just one from my native dimension.

I directed my attention back to my surroundings.

These concrete walls were also covered in scrawled messages; the rambles of the insane, tallies of the days spent here, last goodbyes, codes, warnings. All holding their own stories, their own secrets..

I turned, noticing a standing mirror covered in thousands of tiny cracks leant against the wall.

Walking over, I traced the outline of my jaw in the reflection.

"Eighteen biologically… Due to…" I struggled to remember.

A small voice whispered in my ear, _"It was back when you fell from the sky…"_

I jumped, and looked furtively around me.

My gaze travelled from the walls to the floor, to the bunks, the windows, the vents, and then the slate-grey door leading to the bathroom.

No-one but me.

I looked back into the mirror.

 _"Real age- 35,583 years old!"_ The disembodied voice claimed.

I sighed.

"Cophie."

" _Bang on the nail!"_

"You just had to try and be all mysterious didn't you? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

" _You're not 203,092 yet!"_ She snickered. _"Anyway, I needed to get your attention! Your memories are acting weird… They're very skittish and faded…"_

"Might be because I can't remember a thing?"

Something caught my eye, fluttering in the corner of my vision… A note was taped to the bathroom door.

I walked over and ripped it off, holding it up close; being short-sighted and unable to use magic was a pain… I grimaced and my gaze traveled to my hands; unable to use most magic, that is.

Squinting at the note, I read, "Your friends are fine… At least we assume that was what prompted you to attempt to escape your cell like that? Rather foolish in hindsight…

Don't act without caution again, Guardian, unless you want to earn them a spell in our dungeons…"

I sighed in relief, but was immediately hit by a wash of guilt; my friends were fine, but that meant someone else had been down there… Human, fragile.

I brushed aside these mixed feelings; my friends were okay and that was all that mattered.

I turned away to look back into the mirror.

I was dressed in a fern-green, stretchy top, with cut off shoulders and long sleeves; a pair of beige cargo pants, a pair of kick-ass combat boots, and a strange bandana-neck thing…

"A snood." Cophie supplied.

Behind me in the reflection- as per usual (when I am aware of her presence)- was a certain smirking Cophie, leaning on my shoulder.

Her cropped brown locks were tipped with bubble-gum pink highlights, hanging loose over her shoulders, complementing her pale blue shirt and navy jacket, the latter tied loosely around her waist.

A pair of faded blue jeans hugged her thighs and a swanky pair of black pleather ankle boots clothed her feet.

"Look who's all dressed up…!" I said, raising an eyebrow at the glittery eyeshadow.

Cophie smirked, making bunny ear gestures behind my head.

"Just 'cause you can't isn't a reason to mock my fabulousness."

"Okay, Mettaton!"

"I woke up like this, darling!"

We cracked up, our laughter contrasting sharply with the gloom of the place… My laughter at least.

Nobody ever heard hers.

Cophie never failed to bring a smile to my face... It was a shame she wasn't really here… If she wasn't just an entity living in my mind…

Well, we might've been best friends or something. She was like a sister to me, annoying at times, but we cared about each other, really.

I sighed and turned away.

Shaking my head, I reached out and seized the bronze door knob.

It was time to get back to my current task- inspecting the heck out of this cell.

On peeking into the bathroom, I realised with a tinge of disappointment that the bathroom was just as dingy as the last; limescale was spread across the tiles, mould clung to the ceiling, a flickering bulb gave very little light at all, the shower valve seemed to have been glued to cold.

I sighed, but retreated back into the main cell.

Of course it COULD have been a lot worse. It wasn't that I was complaining exactly… (Well I was) It just seemed rather suspicious. I broke out of my old cell, got caught, got re-located to a bigger cell with more furnishings and space?

"Perhaps," I mused, as I began my hunt for bugs, "Since I have seen that part of the prison, they don't want me there in case I escape again…"

I trailed off as her brain once again provided me with the more likely scenario; I was going to have a cell mate.

"It wouldn't be so bad," I reasoned aloud, "Someone to talk to, other than myself."

"And me!" Cophie added.

"You don't count." I told her.

She glowered at me but went quiet. She rolled her eyes and got out her laptop, purposefully turning the screen away from me so I couldn't see.

Cophie was always there, had always been there... Well, for quite a few centuries at least.

I felt guilty, but knew she'd just brush it off and bounce back as she always did.

It would be nice to have someone to talk to. Besides, how bad could it be…? Honestly, it was a Villains' prison! The prisoners would probably all be potential allies! Probably why I hadn't been allowed out of her cell to go to the canteen and whatnot.

But then again… 'The Villains' aren't exclusively enemies with good guys…

Slowly dread began to fill me and my mind flooded with all the possibilities. My heart began to hammer as the profiles flickered on and off in my mind.

Noticing the signs, I took a few deep breaths and counted down from ten.

I closed off my mind, letting myself be lost to my task...

I couldn't help but think though, think of all the dumbass things I must've done to get myself into this situation... Hazy memories, solitary confinement, organised gangs baying for my blood...

I frowned.

Gangs? Where had that come from?

Then I sighed. Right. The so-called 'Villains'...

-–-

Sweeping the room had resulted in a find of sixty-three bugs; I managed to smash them all by lifting the leg of one bunk bed and slamming it down on the tiny pieces of machinery... It was a waste, really. If I'd had my fine-tools on me, or perhaps enough magic to perform such a delicate task, perhaps I would've attempted to deconstruct them and rebuild them for my own uses... But no. My bags had been raided, all useful items confiscated.

I scowled.

I'd even gone through all the hidden compartments, unscrewing the pen ends looking for the concealed blades; twisting knobs and sliding panels, half-hoping that the blade will spring from its hidden cavity but disappointed as only a handle slides forth; slitting open 'ink capsules', scowling as I realised they had been emptied of the pre-prepared tranquilliser...

They'd really learned from the first time.

I couldn't help but smirk at the memory, an expression which soon faded as I realised the gravity of the situation I was in.

This was serious- deadly serious.

" _Eh, we've survived worse you drama queen!"_

"COPHIE WE COULD DIE HERE!"

 **HIM**

I was almost ready. Just two hours, two precious hours and everything would fall into place, like a magician's painstakingly planned trick…

Finally I would be free from this cold, dark place, this limiting square of insanity.

Solitary confinement broke people stronger than me. This I knew.

Some things picked up from a book or two, a few statistics, some simple facts.

One thing I knew for sure- unless I got company in the next few days, I would start showing symptoms- paranoia, anxiety, irrational behaviour...

 _ArE yOu SuRe yoU DoN't eXpeRiEncE thEm aLreAdy?_

A rasping chuckle echoed in the darkness.

I froze, but shook off the strange thoughts circulating my brain.

That was madness.

Just paranoia.

I was alone…

Wasn't I?

 **HER**

With every passing moment, a new memory of them resurfaced...

I re-lived my journey with them, the crazy scrapes we got ourselves into, the insane adventures and quests...

But that was a whole other world…

I sighed and turned over to face the wall.

Maybe it was hopeless…

I lay there, lost in my thoughts, trying to drown out Cophie's nattering.

My eyes began to itch, then close…

No-one, nothing, could put off sleep forever.

Not even a Guardian.

Not even fear itself.

 **HIM**

"Now's your chance." I thought, looking furtively up and down the corridor.

Worries and doubts rushed through my mind but I shut them all out.

If I was ever going to do it, it had to be now.

The guard turned the corner and walked right up to the bars, sneering.

"Guess what? Yo-"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence before I clumsily clobbered him on the head.

"Run." Was the first thought to come to my mind as I stared at the unconscious man, before breaking into a sprint down the hallway.

 **HER**

I stirred.

Clanging warning bells, shouts, yelling, screeching alarms.

Abruptly I sat up, hitting my head on the top bunk.

With a groan I cautiously sat up, rubbing my head.

"What the?"

A troop of those idiots, the goons in green ran past my cell wielding large batons, sparks of electricity flying forth.

Sighing, I got up and walked over for a closer look.

Peering down the corridor, I attempted to make out the blurry figures in the distance but to no avail; being short-sighted sucked. The most I could tell was which one was the escapee- I could see the fuzzy outline of a flapping coat as the blurry figure moved.

 **HIM**

My breaths came in short gasps and my muscles ached from overuse after neglecting physical activity for such a long period of time...

I stared around me wildly, eyes wide... I must look a sight.

I really didn't think this through enough.

My fear, my desperation, had spurred me into an early start, an insurmountable situation.

I was surrounded from all sides, surrounded by overbearingly muscled guards.

I awkwardly shuffled my feet into what I hoped resembled a fighting stance and assessed the situation once again.

This had a VERY low success rate… Ridiculously low. FATALLY low.

Oh what I would've done to have had my foolish and ever-so-brave brother by my side right now...

That numbskull was always better at the physical things than me, won all his matches without fail... I had withdrawn from the boxing club, pursuing a different kind of knowledge...

"Oh dear, dear, God, if you are up there, PLEASE help me now..." I prayed, despite abandoning all religious beliefs years prior to this whole mess; I was fully prepared to pray to whatever deity I could if it would help me now...

Apart from one 'deity', that is...

I scowled involuntarily, lost in thought.

This was a mistake.

They closed in as I let my guard down…

I snapped back and I raised my fists, clumsily shielding my face.

After realising I was barely a threat to them, they began jeering each other in a tongue foreign to my own, clearly entertaining the thought of some fun…

A giant, burly one, double my height and skin darker than the blackest night, dotted with enormous orange spots stepped forwards, throwing his weapon behind him.

The others did the same, each so differently coloured... If I had my Journal perhaps I would document the strange anomalies of their bodily structures, the varying skin tones from sunset orange to navy blue to toxic green...

Extraordinary, but not exactly helping.

I shook myself out of my thoughts, frantically summoning every scrap of knowledge concerning combat that I had ever gained... I was going to need it all...

 **HER**

I muttered curses under my breath- with all the shouting I could barely concentrate on the sound, the sounds of a struggle, let alone the actual figures themselves.

I jumped at every gunshot, cringed at the cries of pain.

Clearly the escaped prisoner was not practised in combat, only clear in the basic theory of it, judging by his poor stance and weak attempts at attack and defence...

Suddenly there was a sickening *CRACK* and I couldn't help but wince; broken bones were no trifling matter.

Silently, I prayed that perhaps, maybe just this once, Fate would truly smile on me...

No, I daren't even think of it.

Entertaining such foolish hopes after 21 centuries would get me nowhere good and nowhere fast.

Moments later, as if to confirm this, I heard brief shouts of, "He's been contained!" and a loud groan.

I sighed and turned away, contemplating staring moodily out of the window at the snow-crowned peaks... Even if they were just an illusion.

The robotic voice announced over the crackling speakers, "Prisoner 616 contained. Repeat. Prisoner 616 contained. Return to your stations."

I heard loud groans and shuffling footsteps... A few light ones thrown in, clearly the more rebellious of the guards sneaking off to catch a break...

Security had grown lax. The guards from this place in the year Beta 600 would never have dared to step out of formation, let alone engage with a prisoner in a fight or leave whilst on duty...

The recruitment policies had relaxed too. A few hundred years ago, there would've only been the strongest and the fittest employed to guard the most feared enemies of 'The Villains'…

 _L- That's me, by the way._

 _F- Don't you think they've gathered that by now? Besides, you're neglecting the more important parts of this story..._

 _L- You come in soon! Be patient!_

 _C- Says you! *Smirks*_

"AGAINST THE WALL, GUARDIAN!"

I jumped, startled.

In my momentary lapse of concentration, I had failed to notice them walk up to my cell.

A blue-uniformed guard (clearly high ranked from the uniform colour and the many stars pinned to his front) was standing at the cell door, dragging behind him a young human male by his coat collar.

Slowly and cautiously, as not to cause alarm, I complied, raising my hands in the air...

I grimaced at the loud grating noise of the cell door being opened; it sounded like a cat's claws being raked down a chalkboard.

My ears twitched as I heard the guard dump the human in the cell, followed by the grating, heavy retreating footsteps, and finally, silence.

I turned and stared at the disheveled man groaning on the floor, weighing up my options.

Eventually I strode over and held out my hand.

"Hey, I'm Lilly" I said.

He turned over to face me and stared at my outstretched hand with wild eyes, as if expecting it to explode. After a minute or so of him staring, I arched an eyebrow.

Reluctantly, he reached out and accepted the help.

With a grunt, I managed to pull him to his feet- boy, he was heavy.

He grimaced in pain, but, after a quick check of his aura, I determined that nothing was broken, only strained from sudden overuse...

He must've gotten a lucky shot in... I hope he socked that smarmy blond one right in the nose; that bloodsucker has been getting on my nerves for too damn long.

 **A/N:**

 **Okay, I swear this is the LAST TIME I change these chapters...**

 **At least for 6 months.**

 **Probably.**

 **Please review!**


	3. Birds of Hope

**A/N: UPDATED!**

 **WHOOP, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let's hope for a better one than 2016! (Though 2016 did have it's good bits!)**

 **I want you guys to know that whilst some pretty bad stuff is happening now, in a few chapters it all straightens out into good old fluff and angst… XD**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gravity Falls!**

 **However, I DO own the plot as well as the OCs (Major and Minor).**

 **If I reference other people's works I will gain permission first and also give credit in the Author's Note.**

 **WARNINGS:**

 **This fanfic will potentially contain blood, gory details, swearing, mentions of suicide, torture, mentions of other things, etc.**

 **OTHER:**

 **It will also revolve around a character I created a long time ago but always hit writers' block with. She completely of my own creation, and so is her backstory. (And quite a few other characters involving her).**

 **Please enjoy, please review!**

 **HIS POV**

"Hey, I'm Lilly."

I looked up, trying not to wince at the pain shooting down my spine...

With great surprise, I realised she was the 'teen' I saw being dragged down the hall.

Up close she seemed so much older, dark bags under her eyes, pale- almost grey- skin that clearly hadn't seen sun in a long time, and wild mane of hair.

She extended a hand to help me up, offering me a tired, but gentle smile.

I flinched, a shiver running through me at the all-too-familiar gesture... However, after a moment's deliberation, I accepted her help.

She pulled me to my feet with a grunt.

"Thanks." I said awkwardly, running a hand through my crazed mop of hair.

She was still holding my hand- she'd noticed my fingers. A single bead of sweat slid down my forehead.

"Six fingers! Neat!" She said and gave me a blinding smile. For a moment the shadows below her eyes seem to fade and her face lights up. "I haven't seen a six-fingered humanoid in... Well, I don't think I've ever seen one!... Guess you're pretty unique in your dimension?"

Well that certainly wasn't what I was expecting.

I snatched my hand back, shoving both hands deep into my pockets; It'd become a reflex after all these years.

"Something like that, yeah."

I turned away and immediately regretted my reaction.

In my peripheral vision I saw her stiffen in annoyance.

I deflated slightly as I heard loud footsteps walking away.

 _Way to go Ford!_ I thought, balling my hands into fists.

 _You had one chance and you blew it._

The footsteps stopped and after a few moments I heard an annoyed sigh.

"Turn to face me." She said, voice hard.

I froze for a moment, a thousand regrets running through my mind- " _She's going to give me an earful..."_ I thought, Ma's 'talks' with Pa coming to mind...

 _STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM!_ They weren't coming here, and I wasn't going home... Not that I'd wish for them to come here... Not even Pa. No one deserved this kind of fate.

I snapped back into the present, alerted by an impatient little cough.

I stiffened, but reluctantly turned around.

The girl stood firmly, one hand on her hip, the other hanging loosely by her side.

She walked forwards, both arms swinging loose, a calculating look on her face, narrowing her eyes and biting her lip, deep in thought.

Suddenly she stopped, furrowing her brows. She sighed and shook her head, gently taking hold of my hands. Startled, I tried to pull away but she held my hands firm and pulled them from my pockets. After a moment's hesitation, looked me square in the eyes.

"That's clearly a sensitive subject... I apologise." She said. "But being unique, unusual… It's not a bad thing. Everyone's got something unusual about them."

She hesitated again, but continued.

"But this place doesn't care about sensitive subjects. This place is going to use them against you, again and again and again. This place screws perceptions, warps thoughts, kills feelings, and generally screws people up." She looked me square in the eyes, brows furrowed.

"So that's why we all need to be patient with each other. We're all slightly off-the-deep-end and we all have a bit goodness in us." She smiled. "And as I said before, we're all a little unusual.

I'm shocked, yet touched. She's nothing like any girl I've met before...

Though I will say that that's a good thing. Most girls I've met either ignored me completely or gave me such a look I wish I could've crawled into a hole and died...

 _Don't laugh, I'm dead-serious!_

 _*Muffled laughter* Oh, Sixer... No matter how many times I hear it, this story is always hilarious..._

 _Despite the fact that you lived through it?_

 _Yup. *Grins* Always._

"What's unusual about you?" I blurted.

I winced, and tried to rephrase... "Of course, that could be private... I don't mean to intrufe- intrufe? Heheh, 'Intrude' I mean... I mean..." I stumbled over my words, getting more and more tongue-tied by the minute, flushing redder and redder.

It was probably something she didn't want to disclose to close friends, let alone a random stranger she'd just met in a prison facility…

She chuckled.

"What d'ya wanna see?" She asked, a seemingly forced grin plastered on her face.

 **LILLY'S POV**

"Hey I'm Lilly." The words leapt from my mouth before I could even think them through.

 _"Nice going!"_ I thought.

I sighed. Why did I even care any more?

To my surprise, after a moment's hesitation, he accepted the help.

He awkwardly thanked me, running a hand through his chestnut hair that seemed to have a mind of its own, sticking out in all directions.

I looked down at my hand, still holding his. I cringed inwardly…

 _"Whatever dignity you may have once had is charred beyond belief, you can't make it any worse!"_ Cophie yelled 'encouragingly'.

I was just about to break away when something caught my eye. I looked closer.

 _Six fingers!_

I had a niggling suspicion that I knew him from somewhere, but brushed it aside.

I cast a furtive glance at the other hand.

 _Also six fingers._

 _"Hmmm… I'm sure I've seen him somewhere…"_ Cophie mused.

I can only thank the higher beings for giving her a distraction from her 'commentary', even if only for a moment.

"Six fingers! Neat!"

"I haven't seen a six-fingered humanoid in well..." I wracked my brains, trying to remember the last time I'd seen such a rare occurrence... Coming up blank, I finished with, "Forever!"

My smile faded as I realised what I just said and I cringed internally.

Did I honestly just say "Neat!"?!

Of all the dumb things that could've come out of my mouth in that particular moment, that one really takes the cake...

Thankfully my brain and mouth then decided to co-ordinate and I managed a sensible question- "I guess you're pretty unique in your dimension?"

He looked a little shocked and snatched his hand back, shoving both hands into his pockets.

He muttered, "Something like that, yeah."

I stiffened in annoyance. Honestly!

I stalked away, shoes slapping loudly on the stone as Cophie yells at me, only fuelling my anger.

My roommate probably thinks I'm a weirdo. Great!

My roommate is stiff and annoying. Great!

My roommate...

 _"Stop it! You're not helping me, you, or him!"_

 _"Can it Cophie! I'm not in the mood!"_

 _"No, you can can it! He's clearly sensitive about the subject! He's probably faced all kinds of problems over those extra fingers and here you come, barrelling in all smiles and perkiness-"_

 _"Says you!"_

 _"Shut it, I'm not finished! You come in like that and the poor man isn't sure whether you're being serious or sarcastic!"_

I sighed. I guessed I had been a little forward...

 _"Yes you were! And he's probably feeling all kinds of guilt over it now!"_

 _"Fine. I'll apologise. But don't expect it to be sweet or sappy."_

 _Cophie smiled that secretive smirk and I rolled my eyes._

I rearranged my stance, standing firmly, one hand on her hip, the other hanging loosely by her side.

"Turn and face me." I said, voice hard.

He froze and after a minute or so I coughed impatiently, trying to attract his attention.

He stiffened, but reluctantly turned around.

I observed his features carefully, looking for the slight twitches, lines, and gestures that might give away clues to his carefully hidden emotions...

I bit my lip as I came up short- I was gonna have to improvise.

I began to walk forwards, both arms swinging loose, a calculating look spreading across my features as I plotted out what I would say... This was gonna be one heck of an improvised speech... Or so I hoped.

I stopped, furrowing my brows; this was my last chance to back out... Should I take it?

I reached forwards and gently grasped his hands... His fingers were rough with callouses- a writer perhaps? He tried to pull away, clearly startled from the sudden touch, but I held his hands firm and pulled them out of his pockets. After a bare moment of hesitation, I looked him square in the eyes...

I had to divert my full attention to speaking, as I was afraid of getting lost in those eyes; two rich brown pools the colour of melted chocolate...

"That's clearly a sensitive subject... I apologise. But being unique, unusual… It's not a bad thing. Everyone's got something unusual about them."

I hesitated again, thinking it over, but continued- I had to give it to him straight and blunt, no 'beating around the bush'.

"But this place doesn't care about sensitive subjects. This place is going to use them against you, again and again and again. This place screws perceptions, warps thoughts, kills feelings, and generally screws people up." I looked him square in the eyes, brows furrowed.

"So that's why we all need to be patient with each other. We're all slightly off-the-deep-end and we all have a bit goodness in us." I smiled. "And as I said before, we're all a little unusual.

He looked a bit shocked, and for a moment I worried that I could've overdone it. But then he gave me a hesitant grin and blurts, "What's unusual about you?"

I opened my mouth and closed it, goldfish-like.

He winced, and tried to rephrase his previous sentence, "Of course, that could be private... I don't mean to intrufe- intrufe? Heheh, 'Intrude' I mean... I mean..." He stumbled over his words, getting more and more tongue-tied by the minute, flushing redder and redder.

I couldn't help but laugh despite the worry churning in my gut. This would either end well or... Or there would be... Issues... "What d'ya wanna see?" I ask, a forced smile plastered on my face.

"Eh. It'll be fine! True love always prevails!"

I try not to groan.

Now I remember why Cophie gets on my nerves so much…

"Go wander in the Mindscape will you? I'm at least 25,000 centuries older than him!"

We descend into silence as he 'Ummms' and 'Eeeerrrs', clearly uncertain of my question.

I looked closely at him, taking in all the details, making small observations as I did so.

He had wild, chocolate brown hair that 'poofs out', sticking out in all directions, a wild untameable mane...

He had dark, dark bags under his eyes and his wan skin looked like it could do with a good dose of sunshine. Perched on the ends of his nose were a large pair of glasses, a hairline crack in the lens.

As I stared, I could see a pastel-blue shirt peeking out from beneath a v-neck sweater.

He would seem almost scholarly if it weren't for the fact his long, latte-brown coat was torn at every edge, patched at the elbows, ragged, and scuffed.

I could just imagine it swishing behind him as he ran, like in a action movie where the hero jumps from the building/rooftop/cave and everything behind him just explodes...

I snapped back to reality.

After another minute of agonising silence, I spoke- three words that can end a relationship or make one.

"I have magic." I said, cool as you please on the exterior, heart thumping and mind racing on the interior.

He blinked in surprise and I found, for the first time in a while, I actually cared about what he might think... Ridiculous. If he reacts badly, well, it's not as if your enemy List is gonna get any shorter, is it _?_

I could practically feel the perspiration run down my forehead, despite the logical thoughts trying to chip away at it...

 _"STUPID STUPID STUPID. Well you messed that one up, didn't you Lilly?"_ I thought as I tensely waited for his reaction, eyes closed and brows furrowed in expectation.

Cophie sighed dramatically, striking the 'Damsel In Distress' pose.

I heard a small chuckle.

I opened one eye hesitantly, to see the strange man laughing at me.

 _"Only to be expected I suppose… Most non-magic folk react in disbelief…"_ I think, the bitter feeling of disappointment settling in my gut.

"Oh well. I was hoping for something… 'More'… From this one…" Cophie sighed, going back to consulting her list of my 'Potential Matches'.

I was about to scold her, tell her that rather than focusing on 'potential matches' we should REALLY be coming up with another ESCAPE/RESCUE plan, when I saw the man do something unexpected.

He smiles.

"I've encountered magic before."

For a moment he hesitated.

"Will you show me yours?"

I was shocked but pleased at the same time.

"Well, *Hello*, Pretty Boy!" Cophie said, spinning her chair back around to watch, very much enamoured.

"For the Gods' sake Cophie, get your hormones under control!"

I couldn't help but smile though.

Finally, someone with supernatural experience to talk to.

"How about me?"

"You don't count."

Pausing, I wondered what to show him; Should I show him an illusion? Should I show him the past, present, and future? Should I create something real, something to give to him…?

Finally, I decided.

I grinned- this was either gonna knock his socks off or he was gonna run away screaming... Hopefully not the latter.

 **HIS POV**

I jumped back at the sight of the colourful streams that flowed from her fingers, arranging themselves into a wheel (of sorts).

"It looks almost like the wheel I used to summon *him*…" I noted amidst my panic.

Suddenly the silence is broken by HIS echoing laugh, bouncing off the walls, dredging up memories I'd been trying to forget.

Lilly's shadow was gone, replaced by the flickering shadowy outline of a triangle.

The wall was dotted with a thousand blinking, yellow eyes, pupils reduced to thin black slits.

I heard the first few notes of a song, music distorted to the point where it becomes a grating wail...

I blinked and it's gone, everything's gone- the eyes, the shadows, the 'music' (if it can even be called that) but the damage was done.

Cautiously I backed away, getting into a defensive stance- at least, I hoped it was a defensive stance. I couldn't remember very much from the boxing lessons Pa took us too… I preferred sitting on the sidelines… Stanley though…

I caught myself before my mind could begin to wander.

"He's a no-good slacker, a loose cannon! You shouldn't waste valuable seconds on a low-life like him…!"

I heard Pa's words echo through my mind…

I'd never really believed it though. No matter what I said, no matter how much Stanley hurt me, there's always that small, vulnerable part of me that went, "Hey, that's my brother you're talkin' 'bout! Leave 'im alone!"

How wonderful and painful childhood can be- especially when the Pandora's box of Adulthood opens to let in the darkness- jealousy, anger, pessimism, fear.

"Woah, calm down, it's just a spirit wheel!" I faintly heard her say as she tried to calm me.

Staring at her, with her arms outstretched, I cursed myself for trusting so blindly, for forgetting to keep my guard up.

"Haven't seen a girl in so long it's affecting your rational thinking…" I muttered to myself.

I looked her square in the eyes.

"You're just like him… You're a DEMON, just like Bill Cipher!" I yelled.

At the mention of his name she stiffened as if she'd been slapped.

Shakily, she backs away, magic receding and suddenly wary.

"B-Bill Cipher?" She stuttered, eyes wide.

 **LILLY POV**

Suddenly I was hit by a swirling tornado of emotions, sweeping me up and dragging me away into a swirling mass of re-surfacing feelings accompanied by small flashes of memories.

 **A stab of shock.**

 _Almost like a cat's eye..._

 **Fear.**

 _An enemy of our kind..._

 **Curiosity.** We hesitantly crept forwards...

 **Pity.**

 _Terrified._

 **Respect.**

 _"You're a no-good DEMON!"_

 **A tinge of shyness.**

 _"Friends?"_

 _"For sure!"_

 **Sparks of joy.** She smiled, but I could tell she didn't believe us.

 **Excitement.**

 _I finally knew._

 **Shock.**

 _Then I looked across the room and my heart stopped. She was powerful, she was dangerous..._

 _She would have to hide it or be destroyed._

 **Sorrow, tugging at the heartstrings.**

 _"You're just jealous, why else would you tell me not to tell anyone?"_

 **Gratitude.**

 _"She'll forgive you... Eventually."_

 **Mortification.**

 _"Did you honestly think I'd want to go to the dance with YOU?"_

 **Thankfulness.**

 _"Just leave me alone."_

 _"Not until you tell me what's wrong."_

 **Curiosity.**

 _"I wanted to show you something, but if you'd rather go home..."_

 **Surprise.**

 _"Just wait."_

 **Shyness.**

 _His hands flew over the ivory keys, coaxing a beautiful melody from the old piano._

 _And then he opened his mouth and began to sing._

 **A blazing streak of courage.**

 _"Care to dance?"_

 **Love.**

 _Secret kisses exchanged behind trees, whispered words, fluttering feelings…_

The feelings got light and fluttery, as if my stomach was suddenly filled with a kaleidoscope of butterflies…

And then happiness, brief snatches of laughter on the wind, a joyous, golden feeling bubbling up inside until I thought I could just burst with happiness.

Streaks of gold, rosy pink hues, splashes of teal, gentle pinks and oranges, specks of sunshine yellow…

 **Forgiveness**.

 _Knocking in the middle of the night._

 _"Talk." I said, looking her square in the eyes._

 _This was my fault…_

 _It's going to take some time…_

 **Happiness.**

 _He laughed and said, "I'll be fine."_

 _What's the worst that could happen?_

 **Loss.**

 _Gone._

 _I stared blankly into the sky, the sky where she disappeared._

 _She saved me. I couldn't save her._

Then a pang.

A small twinge amongst the awful pain…

But somehow it's worse.

A small, involuntary gasp is stolen from my throat.

Lost.

I lost something.

And some part of me broke away.

 _I ran, ran through the woods screaming his name._

 _Everything was gone... They'd never existed._

Then there was a breaking sensation, a tearing, twisting in my chest. My heart felt as if it had been ripped from my chest, thrown to the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces.

And the happy, beautiful colours were lost.

Lost under streaks of slate grey, black-blues, and dark purples almost like bruises. Dark splotches of burgundy, then black.

Lost.

And I feel grief, the terrible kind that doesn't fade with time, but grows stronger.

And then all I know is the blackness…

But then there is a light.

Something fills the place where the shard broke off.

 _A tattoo of an outline of an orange triangle amidst falling cyan feathers..._

My life was painted in the greyscale.

Only, white doesn't quite make it in.

Not anywhere.

After what feels like an eternity of darkness, a shining candle could be seen in the shadows.

Then another joined it.

Then one more.

Slowly, amongst the streaks of grey was hope.

 **Desperation.**

" _PLEASE, just… Tell. Me. Where. You. Are!"_

 **Betrayal.**

 _The flames licked at my heels as I fled._

 _His mocking words disappeared with him, gone into the shadowy darkness of night._

A silvery mist slowly infiltrated the grey, numbing the pain, washing away the grey…

But just when the colours began to peek through once more, the mist stole them from me too.

One candle was snuffed out…

And I was left with the remaining two…

But I was dead inside.

And I couldn't remember a thing.

Not his name, nor hers.

Then the world shattered, the fragments falling around me…

With a gasp, I was flung back into reality.

The memories were snatched from me once more... I could only remember the feelings.

I was lying on the cold, cement floor of the cell, staring up into a pair of smoked topaz eyes.

The strange man was sitting on his heels, leaning over me. He checked my pulse, biting his lip anxiously.

His eyes widened as he realised I'm awake, and leant back so quickly he fell onto his backside with a small groan.

I tried not to chuckle, and he fought back a smile… It ended up creeping onto his face anyway.

This time, he extended his hand.

"I'm Stanford… Stanford Pines. I come from another dimension, from a place called Earth. I'm sorry we got off onto the wrong foot, I'm a tad prone to hallucinations…" He blurted.

Then he winced, realising how that sounded.

I smiled, and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Stanford. And don't worry, I've seen enough crazy things to last a lifetime, hallucinations aren't anything new."

 **HIS POV**

Hesitantly, I asked, "Are you alright now? When I mentioned…" I swallow. "Bill… You kinda…" I struggled to find the right words…

She sighed.

"Let me guess, my eyes rolled up into the back of my head, my skin went white as parchment, and I started murmuring strange words under my breath?"

"Something like that, yes."

A flicker of worry crossed her features.

"That's new."

An odd expression worked its way onto her face and quietly she asked, "What century are you from? On Earth, I mean. I know Earth quite well… I'm rather fond of it and it's strange cultures."

She looked almost wistful for a moment, but then turned her intense gaze back to me.

I reply, "The 20th. Born in the 70s."

"Ah, the 70s." She sighs, smiling dreamily.

I stared in surprise.

It was strange, but I felt as if I'd known her a thousand lifetimes…

Hesitantly she asked me if I've seen any other humans here, or humanoid lifeforms- about 40 of them or so. She gave some descriptions that sound pretty accurate but I couldn't say I've seen them or heard of them.

"Sorry, no."

Her face fell but she gave me a small smile.

"It's okay. I didn't think you'd have seen them. Thanks anyway."

"Are they friends of yours?"

"Yeah."

She looked so blissful for the briefest moment, lost in a memory, but her expression morphed into a solemn one.

"They'd be better off without me though."

 **LILLY'S POV**

I eyed up the crack in his glasses.

A quick and easy fix... And a lot less likely to make him freak out…

Then I paused.

I didn't have full access to my magic...

So how the heck did I summon that Prophecy Wheel?

It wasn't even intentional...

I had meant to craft a simple lotus blossom- harmless, easy to dispose of, easy to maintain, but notoriously difficult to create because of its gentle nature.

It also required only the smallest spark of magic…

Curious.

Ah well, it can't hurt to try.

I pursed my lips and rubbed my fingertips together, trying to generate some friction…

After a moment of rubbing, I felt my palms begin to tingle and my fingertips lit up with a familiar blue aura.

I grinned, and leant forwards to tap the edge of his glasses. I closed my eyes and envisioned the crack sealing, slowly closing.

I opened my eyes to see Stanford cross-eyed, staring at the blue sparks working their magic.

I slipped off to bed, rather pleased with this new development, leaving him to his thoughts.

"You're such a show-off." Cophie mutters, secretly amused.

 **FORD'S POV**

I stared cross-eyed at my newly fixed glasses.

Taking them off, I looked closer- the crack was non-existent.

I watched as she got to her feet and sidled over to a bed on the far side of the room.

She flopped onto the bottom bunk and curled up, facing the wall, clearly done with our conversation.

I opened my mouth, intent on saying something, but the words died in my throat.

Quietly as I could, I took off my coat and hung it on the edge of the ladder.

I lay awake on the bunk parallel from hers, staring at the bunk above me.

Who the hell is she?

And what is up with her and Bill…?

Was that a coincidence? Or not at all?

I slowly drifted off into sleep, mind frantic with thoughts, theories, and feelings…

But for the first time in years, there's no nightmares.

No maniacal laughing, or triangle shadows on the walls, no pain, or doubt.

Just a swirling tide of confusion…

And a sliver of hope.

 **A/N:**

 **I hope you liked it! I'm currently finding it quite hard to find and stick with a 'character' or 'voice' for Lilly… She's a tough one to write, Ford too.**

 **Please review, I'll try and answer any questions! No flames please!**

 **This whole thing will hopefully make a lot more sense in a chapter or so.**

 **(Also I really must apologise if there are any changes in tense during this piece, I will endeavour to fix them, I promise! It was originally going to be present tense but I changed it, so if you find any slip-ups, that's why! By the way, do you prefer past or present tense? I'm gonna go with past unless you guys prefer otherwise?)**

 **Review, people! (Please?)**

 **Buy gold, BYEEEEE!**


	4. Birds of Memories

**A/N:**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gravity Falls!**

 **However, I DO own the plot as well as the OCs (Major and Minor).**

 **If I reference other people's works I will gain permission first and also give credit in the Author's Note.**

 **WARNINGS:**

 **This fanfic will potentially contain blood, gory details, swearing, mentions of suicide, torture, mentions of other things, etc.**

 **OTHER:**

 **It will also revolve around a character I created a long time ago but always hit writers' block with. She completely of my own creation, and so is her backstory. (And quite a few other characters involving her).**

 **Please enjoy, please review!**

 **KEY:**

" _ **Italic text within speech marks" = Usually Cophie/Entity in someone's mind/telepathic conversation**_

 _ **Italic text = Past event/memory/flashback**_

 **text = Conversation happening in future/present**

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? **Another**? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

 _She woke to the sound of harsh whispering._

 _Instantly awake, she shot to her feet._

 _It was the guard._

" _Get up, six-fingers! It's your time."_

 _She growled, slinking through the shadows to just left of the guard._

 _She knew what someone's 'time' was in this place._

 _No-one ever came back quite the same._

" _Dimension-hopper!"_

 _She filed away that tidbit of information for later, pushing it to the back of her mind as she closed in on her victim._

 _She grabbed the guard's shirt collar, slamming his face into the bars._

" _Listen," She hissed, "This guy's been through a lot in the past year. I'm not sure what, but I know it's big. So do me a favour and LAY OFF."_

 _She threw him hard, and he flew down the corridor, landing in a frightened heap._

 _He sprinted away, throwing back looks at the guardian with the turquoise flames dancing in her eyes._

 _She stood like that for a while, fists clenched, teeth gritted, feet shoulder-width apart…_

 _But then she retreated to her bed, bubbling fury, cold pleasure, careful calculations, and thoughts of revenge flitting through her mind before she slipped into the dark embrace of sleep..._

 ** _Her_** _L_

It was mid-morning before I finally awoke, aroused by shouting, clanging of bells, pained screams, and a slight snoring.

"For the love of fudge…" I muttered, slowly easing myself out from the bottom bunk, head bowed to avoid hitting it on the bunk above.

I shambled over to the mirror, every muscle in my body aching, and groaned.

" _That's the worse case of bed hair we've had the bad luck to be disgraced with in 5,000 years!"_ Cophie commented.

I rolled my eyes, and retrieved a hairbrush from my bag.

Tentatively dragging the brush through the tangles, I gritted my teeth and tried not to wince.

After what seemed like hours, I grew a bit more of a spine and dragged it through more forcefully.

" _Still not working! I propose a haircut!"_ Cophie sang, skipping off to grab her laptop.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not cutting my hair just because it's a bit tangled!" I replied, attacking my hair with vigour.

" _I've been waiting for an excuse to give you a makeover for years! Besides, think of all the benefits! Attackers won't be able to grab you by the hair so easily, it won't take forever to dry, it won't blow into your eyes…_ "

"Just how MUCH hair are you planning to cut off?!"

" _How much hair am I planning for YOU to cut off. You can't manifest me, remember? You're low on magic._ "

I groaned.

That meant I'd have to actually cut my hair myself, magic-free.

A spark wouldn't be enough to shear anything off…

However, after an _actual_ hour of brushing and Cophie's persuading, I gave to Cophie's pestering- just a little bit.

"Fine. What were you thinking?"

This just happened to be the moment when Stanford woke up.

"Oh, heya Stanford!" I sighed, tossing the brush so it landed on my bed.

"Heya…?"

"Right, 60s. Sorry."

"No, that's perfectly alright, it's hard to shake habits."

I raised an eyebrow- this guy was a pretty eloquent speaker… Perhaps I'd picked up the mannerisms from him.

"Anyway…"

"Uh, yes. Did you sleep well?"

I paused.

I'd been dreaming… Dreaming of something… A memory…

I grabbed at the fleeting moments, tried to drag them back, but they were there and they were gone.

"Yeah, good. You?"

Stanford chuckled wryly.

"You could say that."

He sighed.

"No nightmares."

I cocked my head, curious, but I could tell he wasn't going to say anything more on the matter.

"Well that's good."

I abandoned the pointless brushing in favour of pulling up a chair.

Reaching down into my magical core, I extracted a tendril of magic and twisted it into matter.

I sat back in the chair as if this was perfectly normal, but in fact was buzzing internally.

My magic was returning, more and more each day.

I couldn't quite keep the grin off my face as Ford stared at me, dumbstruck.

"I don't think I've seen THAT kind of magic before."

I smiled.

"It's a certain little trick of mine."

I repeated the action, shaping a chair for him too.

I was cool, calm, and collected on the outside, but inside I was throwing a fiesta-

Cophie was yelling hallelujah, and dancing around… We were both simply ecstatic; this was uncanny, unheard of, ridiculous! But it was happening. My magic was finally returning.

Finally something to smile about.

Tentatively, Stanford prodded the chair.

I bit back a laugh.

He narrowed his eyes at me, suspicious.

Eventually he lowered himself onto the chair, unconsciously holding his breath as if expecting it to pop out of existence at any given moment.

Finally he exhaled, a relieved smile gracing his features.

I broke into laughter at the look on his face, unable to hold it back any longer.

He scowled, but soon cracked a smile.

"So," He paused, looking for the right words, "What's up with this whole 'Villain' thing? Is it just a... Rather well-organised gang?"

I sighed, and leaned back on my chair.

"Ok, how much do you know about parallel universes?"

Stanford pursed his lips in thought.

"Quite a bit. I got involved with a demon... Bill." His eyes flicked to me, but I gave no reaction.

He swallowed and continued. He seemed unable to prevent the words tumbling from his lips, as if mentioning such a simple name had been the final straw, the act of removing the stopper on the bottle and now... Now the repressed words, the terror and... Almost... INSANITY in his eyes... It was all pouring forth, as unstoppable as the tide.

"And he helped me build a transdimensional portal... I thought he was my friend, but he wasn't. He betrayed me."

In his eyes I could see raw fear, absolute terror. I wished that I didn't know how could something as simple as a name reduce a man to a quivering wreck, that I didn't understand. But I could, all too well.

His eyes flitted from one spot to another, mad, unnerving, desperately afraid. I bit my lip, but said nothing.

He swallowed and shook his head, clearing the madness plaguing his mind.

"He introduced himself as 'a muse'. My muse."

 _F_ ** _Him_** _F_

I stopped short as a strange look crossed Lilly's face once more.

"Lilly?" I questioned, worry lacing my tone.

For a brief moment, the tide stopped and the madness in his eyes faded.

"Lilly?"

"He introduced himself as 'your muse'?" She said, her voice slightly strangled.

I leaned forwards.

"How do you know him?"

Lilly leaned back, shaking her head, muttering under her breath.

"How do you know Bill?" I pressed, staring her square in the eyes, keeping my voice steady and calm as I could.

"I-I don't know." She faltered. "I can barely remember anything past when I escaped my old cell, only the briefest snatches of memories or information… And feelings." She shuddered.

"How do you feel when you hear the name Bill Cipher?" I asked.

She ignored the question, biting her bottom lip and furrowing her brows...

Sighing, she looked down and said,

"Before yesterday, I hadn't heard that name in 45,000 years."

I spluttered in surprise.

"45,000 years?!"

"I'm a good few hundred thousand years old or so, y'know. My birthday was last month."

I tried not to let my jaw drop, but it was a bit late for that.

"Right."

I cleared my throat.

"So, 45,000 years?"

"Yes. It's almost like those memories were forcibly removed. There's not even the slightest trace of them… I'll get Cophie on it…" She murmured absent-mindedly.

"Cophie?"

She waved a hand dismissively.

"Later."

"Bu- Okay…"

"There's no memories, but yesterday, when I passed out, I felt something."

"Which would be?"

She shot him a look.

"You're dreadfully pushy."

I sighed in frustration.

"I apologise profusely. Now, back to the feelings."

She rolled her eyes.

"It would be easier to show you."

And before I could even protest, she grabbed my hand, and my words stuck in my throat. I felt every hair on my body stand on end, as if I'd touched a live wire... My vision clouded and I was left in the darkness, briefly lit here and there by a spark of crackling light... A scream echoed through the darkness, through my head.

As I blacked out, I came to the realisation that the scream was my own.

I came to, groaning.

Rubbing his head, I asked, "Where are we?" I frowned and looked at her warily.

"And what the HECK was that?!"

I rose to his feet to see her standing there, tapping her foot impatiently.

"My Mindscape… Of sorts. Come on!"

I stumbled over, tripping over non-existent objects skirting around my ankles.

"Right."

She paused and sighed. "I'm sorry about that. I've never known a human system to react to my magic so violently... If I had known that would happen..." She looked for words, scrunching up her nose and pulling various faces that reminded me of... That made her, for a brief second, think of... I quickly put an end to such thoughts. Many people did such things when thinking. It was not a behaviour unique to... To...

My thoughts were scattered by her quiet voice.

"Stanford..."

An impatient sigh.

" _Stanford..._ "

We travelled along a long, crumbly pink object that looked suspiciously like it was made of pink sherbet... A pink sherbert bridge leading to tall, ominous walls that eclipsed the sun with their incredible height and mass.

It was impossible to tear my eyes from my surroundings... Floating islands dotted the skies like specks of paint on a canvas as the artist prepares his piece. Each was vastly different from the last- they varied in size, shape, flora, fauna, and season. One had grass the colour of fresh lavender, the other of a blazing sunset. Red, gold, and blue leaves fell from the skies above, green blossoms blew from the east, onyx flames flickered in the south-west.

I was enchanted, intimidated, and astounded in one fell swoop.

With no lack of will I tore my gaze from the wonders around me to stare at the mere slip of a girl walking before me. How could one appearing so young have eyes so old, have a mind so vast?

Then again, I should've known better than to judge by appearance. I had been fooled before.

I swallowed, then finally spoke.

"So…"

"Be patient." She reprimanded, shooting me a look that was enough to keep me quiet albeit indignant.

Without warning, the wind was knocked from my lungs as I was tackled to the floor by what appeared to be a supersonic pink... Thing.

"Aaaargh!"

"Don't worry, that's just Cophie."

The world stopped spinning for long enough for me to see that the 'pink thing' was humanoid.

"Hello…?"

"OMG, it's YOU!"

"Errr… Yes. It's... Uh... Me…?"

She was the spitting image of Lilly, except she had ombre bubblegum-pink to white hair and dancing blue eyes, rather than a honey brown.

Her taste in clothing was very different too, yet I had an inkling that she had a lot to do with Lilly's outfit choices.

She wore a purple headband with strange circular boxes on the sides of her head, and a long-sleeved grey top with black and grey stripes on the sleeves. "Ain't no Angel' was printed on it, underlined with a curved, diamante-studded feather.

She had a pair of bootcut jeans, then chunky steampunk boots.

Her earrings were shaped like three cogs, the largest bronze, second-largest sliver, the smallest was gold.

"What's the purple contraption on her head?" I whispered to Lilly.

She smirked.

"Headphones, Stanford, Headphones."

 ** _Her_** _L_

When his look of confusion didn't subside, I sighed and explained, "Like tiny speakers on a headband that cover your ears, so you can privately play music that no-one else can hear."

"Huh."

"Yeah, 21st Century thing."

I turned to Cophie.

"Can you take us to yesterday's memories?"

Cophie gave me a devious grin, but agreed.

Ford was subjected to hours of perky questioning from Cophie while I blissfully tuned it all out, butting in here and there to interrupt Cophie before she says something she shouldn't…

I should really have cancelled Cophie's Netflix subscription, she was always too loose with spoilers... Especially if they concerned me.

Eventually, we approached the large, yellowish control panel with two sunk-in handprints- one with five fingers, one with six.

Its mottled surface was rough with scratches and deep gashes which Stanford curiously ran his fingertips over.

"Just put your hands in the handprints."

I rolled my eyes- I'd done this a thousand times before, and complied.

After a moment's hesitation, Stanford did too.

Our hands fit perfectly and he couldn't help but shiver.

My eyes met Cophie's for the briefest of seconds, expressing a thousand words in only a moment.

She subtly flicked one of the switches, before turning with a broad, ever-so-slightly faked smile to Stanford.

"Have fun. Or not."

She slammed her hand down on a large orange button and we were sucked into the memory.

 _ **A stab of shock.**_

 _Almost like a cat's eye..._

 **Fear.**

 _An enemy of our kind..._

 **Curiosity.** We hesitantly crept forwards...

 **Pity.**

 _Terrified._

 **Respect.**

 _"You're a no-good DEMON!"_

 **A tinge of shyness.**

 _"Friends?"_

 _"For sure!"_

 **Sparks of joy.** She smiled, but I could tell she didn't believe us.

 **Excitement.**

 _I finally knew._

 **Shock.**

 _Then I looked across the room and my heart stopped. She was powerful, she was dangerous..._

 _She would have to hide it or be destroyed._

 **Sorrow, tugging at the heartstrings.**

 _"You're just jealous, why else would you tell me not to tell anyone?"_

 **Gratitude.**

 _"She'll forgive you... Eventually."_

 **Mortification.**

 _"Did you honestly think I'd want to go to the dance with YOU?"_

 **Thankfulness.**

 _"Just leave me alone."_

 _"Not until you tell me what's wrong."_

 **Curiosity.**

 _"I wanted to show you something, but if you'd rather go home..."_

 **Surprise.**

 _"Just wait."_

 **Shyness.**

 _His hands flew over the ivory keys, coaxing a beautiful melody from the old piano._

 _And then he opened his mouth and began to sing._

 **A blazing streak of courage.**

 _"Care to dance?"_

 **Love.**

 _Secret kisses exchanged behind trees, whispered words, fluttering feelings…_

The feelings got light and fluttery, as if my stomach was suddenly filled with a kaleidoscope of butterflies…

And then happiness, brief snatches of laughter on the wind, a joyous, golden feeling bubbling up inside until I thought I could just burst with happiness.

Streaks of gold, rosy pink hues, splashes of teal, gentle pinks and oranges, specks of sunshine yellow…

 **Forgiveness**.

 _Knocking in the middle of the night._

 _"Talk." I said, looking her square in the eyes._

 _This was my fault…_

 _It's going to take some time…_

 **Happiness.**

 _He laughed and said, "I'll be fine."_

 _What's the worst that could happen?_

 **Loss.**

 _Gone._

 _I stared blankly into the sky, the sky where she disappeared._

 _She saved me. I couldn't save her._

Then a pang.

A small twinge amongst the awful pain…

But somehow it's worse.

A small, involuntary gasp is stolen from my throat.

Lost.

I lost something.

And some part of me broke away.

 _I ran, ran through the woods screaming his name._

 _Everything was gone... They'd never existed._

Then there was a breaking sensation, a tearing, twisting in my chest. My heart felt as if it had been ripped from my chest, thrown to the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces.

And the happy, beautiful colours were lost.

Lost under streaks of slate grey, black-blues, and dark purples almost like bruises. Dark splotches of burgundy, then black.

Lost.

And I feel grief, the terrible kind that doesn't fade with time, but grows stronger.

And then all I know is the blackness…

But then there is a light.

Something fills the place where the shard broke off.

 _A tattoo of an outline of an orange triangle amidst falling cyan feathers..._

My life was painted in the greyscale.

Only, white doesn't quite make it in.

Not anywhere.

After what feels like an eternity of darkness, a shining candle could be seen in the shadows.

Then another joined it.

Then one more.

Slowly, amongst the streaks of grey was hope.

 **Desperation.**

" _PLEASE, just… Tell. Me. Where. You. Are!"_

 **Betrayal.**

 _The flames licked at my heels as I fled._

 _His mocking words disappeared with him, gone into the shadowy darkness of night._

A silvery mist slowly infiltrated the grey, numbing the pain, washing away the grey…

But just when the colours began to peek through once more, the mist stole them from me too.

One candle was snuffed out…

And I was left with the remaining two…

But I was dead inside.

And I couldn't remember a thing.

Not his name, nor hers.

Then the world shattered, the fragments falling around me…

With a gasp, I was flung back into reality.

Same as last time, but just as awful.

 _F_ ** _Him_** _F_

I woke with a gasp, hands flying to my chest, feeling my heartbeat as if to assure myself it's still there.

After a moment I calmed, my heartbeat returning to a normal rate, and I looked around for Lilly.

I finally saw her sitting on the ground, being handed a tangerine by Cophie.

"What was that?!" I croaked, accepting a tangerine from Cophie.

"The flashback I had yesterday." She mumbled between segments of tangerine.

"Right..." We sat in silence for a while as I mused.

That was awful... No, awful was hardly a strong enough word for what I had just experienced... Depressing? Appalling? They just didn't quite express the cold, gut-wrenching fear I had just been doused in.

"Anyway, now you've got all the answers I can give you. Let's head back."

"How are you so… Okay… So quickly? We just felt…" I struggle to find words for the horror we had just endured.

"Eat the tangerine. It helps. It's like dementors and chocolate; citrus fruits combat leftover feelings from memory exposure."

"Dementors?"

"Just eat it."

I gave in and peeled the tangerine, reluctantly biting down on a segment.

My eyes widened as the flavours exploded on my tongue.

"Since when did tangerines taste so good?!" I exclaimed, gorging himself on the sweet fruit.

Lilly chuckled.

"Good, hmm? It's partly because you've been living off prison slop for six months, partly because that fruit is free from pollutants, weed-killers, and all sorts of horrible things you humans put on plants to stop them being eaten by wildlife, and partly because I don't think you've ever had a Time-Orange before."

She holds out her hand.

"Ready to go?"

"Do we… Do we have to?" I asked, staring forlornly at the last segment in my palm.

"We can return anytime, but I don't want my luck to run out and for us to be stuck in here for 24 hours while my magic regenerates."

I sighed, and savoured the final bite of orange, before grabbing Lilly's hand.

"Let's go."

The world faded to black, and then a brilliant white...

I blinked and we were back.

"That was a lot less painful than last time..." I sighed thankfully, leaning back in my chair.

I furrowed my forehead. "And did you say- You humans...?! 45,000 years old?!"

Lilly smiled uneasily, "Uhhh... Slip of the tongue?"

 **A/N:**

O-kay, that's that chapter just about wrapped up! Sorry for the random and unfrequent updates, I WILL try to create some kind of... Schedule...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!

To answer a few quick questions you may now have...

 **Q:** Who are these 'villain' people? Is that basically you being too lazy to come up with a proper name for them?

 **A:** Yes and no. It will (hopefully!) be fully explained next chapter, as this one accidentally got devoted to giving you readers an insight on who on earth Cophie is, and a quick glance at to what Lilly's past with Bill may be...

 **Q:** What's Ford in jail for? Surely he can't have gotten into trouble so quickly! Only 3ish months on the other side of the portal and he's in a super-crazy jail?

 **A:** Let's just say that the 'Villains' know Bill and Ford is being kept as leverage/a way of getting information. What kind of evil organisation wouldn't want all the secrets of the universe to play with?

Alsoooo...

If anyone would like to Beta-Read for this story, that would be amazingly helpful! Thank you for reading, please review! XD


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